Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Book Review: The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.

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I don't even know where to begin. I started & finished The Cadet of Tildor this afternoon; I couldn't help it. Once I started reading it, I just couldn't put it down. There was so much intrigue, excitement, and adventure. The characters development was amazing, and the ending was great. The only thing I'm upset about is that it's over!

Renee de Winter is a kick-butt heroine, eager to prove her worth not only to her peers but also to her father. She's so real because she makes mistakes along the way, and she doesn't suddenly become this perfect swords-woman who can take on anything after a few lessons. Her friends, Sasha and Alec, are interesting; Alec more so simply because his character plays a much bigger part throughout the book. He did grate on me a few times, but I think that's where the author was trying to go with him. The new trainer at the Academy, Korish Savoy, is a great character. At first he just seems very harsh and egotistical, but as the story goes on, there are more sides to him that you didn't see in the beginning. (Best line: "I don't do hugs.") None of these characters ever seemed flat or two-dimensional. They all received great character development that made them come to life.

The plot was incredible. The king is a young man who's just taken the throne, and his actions to step up fighting crime are met with hostility. There are two rival crime syndicates in Tildor - the Family and the Vipers. The Family are just like how they sound, a very mafia-like organization that's very political and tries to stay just outside the line of legitimate business without crossing too far. The Vipers are far worse. Kidnappers, murderers, human-traffickers - they're not afraid of going too far or even of really hiding their crimes. These two groups not only cause problems for the kingdom but also for each other, which is what causes most of the adventures in the book.

There was tons of fighting. The action never stopped; the story never dragged or got mired down by the politics. And there was constantly a new twist or unexpected turn that you just didn't see coming. There was the teeniest touch of romance, but overall it didn't play much of a role in the story. This book was more about Renee's growth into a soldier and her adventures in Tildor. I'm still just so sad that it's over. I cannot wait for Lidell to write another book. A